Experiences of early scans - heartbeat but measures early

[Purplelooby]

I have been googling (dangerous I know) for about 3 hours and I am utterly, utterly confused. I would like to hear from anyone who has had experience of this so that I don't go insane.

I booked an early scan as it is my first PG and it took me 18 months to conceive. I am certain of the day that I ovulated as I took my temps and hence today I 7w exactly or 7w1d

The positive thing that happened was that as soon as she started scanning we saw the gestational sac and yolk sac, then the blob (baby and other things I'm told) and a very clear heartbeat - I could see the heart beating even when it wasn't zoomed in. The lady then told me that the dating is not accurate at that stage and she measured it, twice, at 6w2d. I can't decide whether to be happy (heartbeat and not ectopic) or scared (too small for date).

I should add that the scan was done externally (not transvaginal) at one of those 3d scan places for 50 quid, not at a clinic or hospital - also that the lady who did it did not express any concern.

Just to add to this - I am certain of the date I ovulated but of course I have no idea when I implanted - can that affect the gestation date? Could it just be that I implanted a few days late?

I was pretty Certain on ovulation etc dates for both dd1 and dd2 and I think on both the really early scans showed them to be something like a 5-7 day less hn I thought. The margin on growth is so tiny it's easy to get distortions. Dates I think did catch up a bit but I was grateful for bit of grace on due dates as meant no worries with induction on dd1.

And step away from google and play here - trust me is it not your friend if you are worrying I'm pregnancy . Good luck and congratulations

Congratulations! I wouldn't worry - i had a private scan at 8 weeks and like you said, at this stage it just looks like a blob, so the measurements can't be that accurate. Throughout my pregnancy the dates based on the measurements changed all the time - they even differed depending on what part of the baby they measured! She has long legs so was always a week earlier when they measured her legs .

Hi Purple. Congratulations.

I had early scans for both mine around the same time you did, and both times they were measuring a week behind. They'd caught up to expected measurements by 11 weeks

The heartbeat is a very good sign. Fingers crossed for you.

Hi and congratulations.

Just wanted to say that for both my pregnancies (currently 27 weeks with DC2) my dates have been out by about a week. Always confused me because I know when I ovulated, knew when we had sex, but I guess I just take longer to implant and get going.

Scans at that stage are dated plus or minus 5 days. And external slightly less accurate at that stage as well.
So all is fine- don't worry, congratulations

Thank you so much you lovely, lovely people. It is correct that Google is a bad idea. I convinced myself of all sorts and didn't find satisfactory answers for anything...

Out of interest and for balance - did any have a bad outcome from a similar situation? But keep telling me the good as well...

Purplelooby I'm another positive story, I had an early scan (an external one) when I thought I was 7 weeks but it put me at 6.1 weeks. However I went back 2 weeks later for another one and I'd jumped forward a week to where I thought I should be. They told me that as it is very small at that stage the measurements are not very accurate. The presence of a hb is a positive sign!

I would be reassured by the heartbeat and try not to get too hung up on the measurements, I had a scan at about 7 weeks and they took 3 measurements, with about a 5 day range, every time she measured him he got a couple of days older, we joked he would be born before the scan was finished! Measurements are very dependent on position at that stage

Hi,
Well just to give a balance - I had an early scan at about 7 weeks and it measured about 5-51/2 weeks. I was sure of my dates. There was a heart beat but I just knew it was going wrong as it was so far behind. Like you I googled everything to try and get reassurance but I knew it was going wrong. And it did as over the following two weeks I miscarried. BUT I measured more behind than you did. Also, my sister measured about 6 days behind at her early scan and has just given birth! My sister knew she didn't ovulate til day 17. Since the "weeks pregnant" calculations are done on an average ovulation day of 13/14 she knew would measure at least 3 days behind anyway. Hope everything goes well for you.

Hi PurpleB, I don't post much but just had to when I saw your message. I didn't have an early scan but at my 12 wk one the dating scan had to be off because the dd given, well 40 wks prior I was still on the pill so it was obviously wrong. When baby is so tiny at 7wks how the slight of the hand in taking that measurement, just a millimeter difference could change all the estimates! No doubt chances are another sonographer could take and give another estimate.

But I really wanted to convey this...about worrying during pregnancy - I have just one DC 15 months, but had the most anxious pregnancy worrying about everything. I read into everything and google'd like a maniac, I wish I could go back and tell myself to have blind faith that all would be well and enjoy the experience. (e.g. I worried I did not have a positive test for 5 wks = hormone levels must be awry, I worried about ectopic because of pain one side in the early weeks, I worried I measured small through the whole pregnancy, I worried I was an older mum, I worried that her femur length was not quite centre on the median range and we are very very tall, I worried I could only ever feel one leg moving)

As it turned out my dd is the child of my dreams in every way, I couldn't be blessed more, the picture of gorgeousness and heath! Its funny how the things I worried about so so much were non issues, then I had difficulties with things I had given no thought to (dd had feeding problems that landed us in hospital, all came good in the end though). Whatever you read/research at this stage, is unlikely to affect the outcome but it could spoil the experience with unnecessary anxiety. Please enjoy your pregnancy and very very many congratulations it all sounds so promising!!!!!

I had to have an early scan before 7 weeks. I was sure of my dates. The scan was 3-4 days behind. The 12 week scan showed my date was correct after all and am almost 28 weeks now and all is fine.
Especially with an external scan it is very very hard to measure accurately something so tiny as a 6-7 week embryo. Really, it is better not to have scans for reassurance before 8 weeks. As you can see from your own experience, it has worried you instead of reassuring you.
There will be some people who have a scan with a heartbeat at that stage and then go on to have a good outcome. But for the vast majority of women heartbeat = good outcome. I had one scan once when I measured significantly behind at 8 weeks and that did not end well, despite seeing a heartbeat. But 5 days behind is not a significant difference.

Try and stay away from Google and looking for answers on the internet. You are just going to stress yourself for no reason. Unless you have any bleeding just assume all is well between now and your 12 week scan.

I had a scan at my docs at, by my date,s 7 wks 5 days. We used the internal 'portable' on in my gynae's consulting room. She measured it as about 6 wks 6 days and I panicked. She tried to reassure me it's easy to be out by a few days at this stage as it's so small and the margin of error is quite big. I still was panicking so she took me next door to where the decent machine they do the NT scans on was and on that one the measurement came out at exactly 7 wks 5 days. I've since had my 12 week scan and all is fine.

The measurement depends on both the skill of the sonographer / doctor and the quality of the machine. It also depends on whether the baby is all curled up in a funny position, and they can't get a decent measurement. An external scan at your stage is never going to be very clear. In your case I really would not worry. A heartbeat is a very positive sign. I would have been worried at 7 wks if there was no heartbeat seen.

S

I have been in a similar position to you OP - with dd1 I measured behind at first even go I was sure of my dates. As others have said at this early stage a millimetre difference makes a huge difference to dates but the sonographers are only human and can only do estimates on size depending on how the baby is lying. As the baby is so small the ultrasound display is magnified such a lot that edges get a bit blurry! Anyway dd was 6 days late and measured nearer 'normal' at later scans.
I am now 9 weeks pg with dc2 and had scan at 6 + 4 when there was only a yolk sac no heartbeat. Went back 2 weeks later for follow up and they think I am a week behind my dates ie ovulated late this cycle. They compared the first and second scans and checked the growth rate between the two was acceptable and it was! So it was rather that I was behind in my dates rather than a small baby. So if it sets your mind at rest you could consider another scan in a couple of weeks to compare?

I feel much, much more reassured - thank you so much. That includes ktef - when I was researching on google (promise I've stopped now!) it seemed that the bad outcomes did come when people at 7+ weeks measured 5ish but with a heartbeat - I guess a heartbeat at 5 weeks is rare anyway so it is a sign something is wrong. ktef that must have been hard to share so thank you very much

cheerful I loved your story - 6 days difference between two machines!

I don't like to leave a thread unfinished in case someone else is looking for the same thing in the future - but I had my 12 week scan and all is wonderful - in fact it turns out that I'm slightly further AHEAD than I thought! This is also despite 2 bleeds, so never give up hope xx

Yay! Congratulations! I am really pleased to hear your news - thank you for updating.